Article: Tortorella Goes Off on Jack Johnson's Comments After Leaving CBJ for PIT

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Tortorella Goes Off on Jack Johnson's Comments After Leaving CBJ for PIT

Johnson, who spent seven seasons in Columbus, said of his new organization: “I’ve been looking to be in a winning culture.”

Rutherford, who has taken heat from fans in Pittsburgh as word of Johnson’s long-term deal leaked, made a cryptic comment about why Johnson was a healthy scratch for the Blue Jackets during their first-round loss to Washington in the playoffs.

“I don’t think he had a bad year,” Rutherford told reporters in Pittsburgh. “He was a healthy scratch at the end of the season. I know the reason why. It wasn’t because of how he was playing.”

Those comments irritated Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen, who said he’d be calling Rutherford for an explanation in coming days.

But they infuriated Blue Jackets coach John Tortorella, who wanted to vent.

“All I know is, this organization, from the lawyers, the front office, J.D. (John Davidson), the managers, the coaches, players … has done nothing but try to help Jack,” Tortorella told The Athletic. “And for him to backhand slap us like this is utter bullshit, and he should know better.

“No one wishes anything bad to happen to him and his family. We wish him the best. But for him to put it the way he put it today is bullshit. And to have a general manager question our decision-making from three hours away, he must be a fucking magician.”

Tortorella noted that the Blue Jackets’ organization has “bent over backward” to help and support Johnson in the wake of his bankruptcy proceedings and his estrangement from his parents.

Coach the team in front of you, and that's it. Johnson has had a very odd life with his parental issues, why worry about what he says. Comes a point teams very soon are going to stop hiring this guy. He might be the smartest coach, but he runs players down and wears teams out.Also, NHL games require you to score a goal or 2 to win; appears since he left Tampa this is lost on John Tortarella. A coach needs to give direction and sometimes be a hardass. When you get yelled at 24/7 no matter what you do, that moves from leadership to bullshit. If you scream about everything, nothing is a priority.

He's not all bad; managed to raise a productive member of the US military and he likes dogs.

Coach the team in front of you, and that's it. Johnson has had a very odd life with his parental issues, why worry about what he says. Comes a point teams very soon are going to stop hiring this guy. He might be the smartest coach, but he runs players down and wears teams out.Also, NHL games require you to score a goal or 2 to win; appears since he left Tampa this is lost on John Tortarella. A coach needs to give direction and sometimes be a hardass. When you get yelled at 24/7 no matter what you do, that moves from leadership to bullshit. If you scream about everything, nothing is a priority.

He's not all bad; managed to raise a productive member of the US military and he likes dogs.

Weren't Jackets top 3 powerplay last year?

Some of this stuff is just repeated and dogmatic and flat out not true.

Coach the team in front of you? Wouldn't that advice be the same to Rutherford? GM and worry about your own team, not his team.

Some of this stuff is just repeated and dogmatic and flat out not true.

Coach the team in front of you? Wouldn't that advice be the same to Rutherford? GM and worry about your own team, not his team.

Tortorella gains nothing by doing this. He's the coach, not a player; be bigger than the player. Players say a lot of dumb things when they change teams;let it go. Simply indicative of a guy who always has to get the last word.

Tortorella gains nothing by doing this. He's the coach, not a player; be bigger than the player. Players say a lot of dumb things when they change teams;let it go. Simply indicative of a guy who always has to get the last word.

Seems you just want to blame who you want to blame. I can just as easily say JJ and Rutherford should move on.